It still needs a chunk added under the butt end to thicken it up enough, but it's going OK at the moment.
Eventually I'll get together some hardwood for a final version - but that's after this works all right and has been given a good trial run.

It should be noted that my brother hates it - because I'm right handed and have made it a thumbhole stock, it's impossible to use it properly left handed.

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Great start on it!! I don't know if you have access to a bench type belt and disk sander. You can make short work of some of the basic shaping on parts like this.

If you think you're working hard on this, just wait until you get some real hardwood to beat on. I replaced my plastic stock on my red ryder BB gun many years ago with a real piece of seasoned pecan wood. Good grief you're talk about some seriously difficult wood shaping. Granted seasoned pecan is one of the hardest woods known to man. With even a softer hardwood, it will be a much different experience. Maybe enough to consider just holding on to the pine one you're working on now...

Lookin' good Rag!

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Last edited by starman on Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Looks good, what sort of tools have you used and how much time have you put in so far?

The nice thing with building your own stock is that you can shape it to fit precisely in your hand, something you'll never get with a commercial stock. Albeit it makes it less comfortable for others like your brother. The thumbhole stock is really interesting. It looks comfortable and I really like it.

Is this stock for the upcoming 3vo project or something else entirely?

starman wrote:Great start on it!! I don't know if you have access to a bench type belt and disk sander. You can make short work of some of the basic shaping on parts like this.

Afraid not. The only power tools I've got access to are a Dremel (bloody useful, but slow for bulk work) and a power drill that I used for drilling things like the thumbhole (using those spade-esque wood bits at an angle is a nightmare) and parts of the groove that the action sits in.The rest has been done by hand with a saw, chisels, a plane and some rasps.

...Oh wait, there is a mini rotary tool that I've got handy - like the Dremel, but less powerful, slimmer and more subtle - good for engraving or precision work.

Maybe enough to consider just holding on to the pine one you're working on now...

I don't think I'll get rid of this one - it's been too much work to just throw it - but even then, doing it in a proper hardwood does have some appeal. We'll see, it all depends on how well this one works out. The 4 by 2 I bought was 8 feet long, and I only need about 2.5 feet for a trial stock, so if this design doesn't turn out quite right, there's nothing to stop me having another go.

potatoflinger wrote:That looks beautiful, are you planning on staining/varnishing it when you are finished?

That was the plan. I know it's not a particularly fancy wood, but I'd like it to resist finger prints anyway.

daberno123 wrote:Looks good, what sort of tools have you used and how much time have you put in so far?

Well, the first part of that's answered above - as for time... maybe 5 to 7 hours - cutting the groove for the action was rather time consuming, and I'm out of practise with my woodwork.

The nice thing with building your own stock is that you can shape it to fit precisely in your hand, something you'll never get with a commercial stock.

Well, that's part of the reason I set out on the project. The basic Air Arms stock wasn't a great shape for my large hands - the top was at too great and angle, and then it curved round, which added up to being less than perfect - so I decided to experiment.

Albeit it makes it less comfortable for others like your brother.

Well he can get stuffed. It's my air rifle!

The thumbhole stock is really interesting. It looks comfortable and I really like it.

Well that's me being generous to myself. Usually thumbhole stocks are a fairly exclusive and costly thing (more complicated machining work), and as I was making the stock anyway, I decided to treat myself a bit.

Surprisingly, it's probably actually going to be less work than a standard design, simply because it's mostly done with the drill and Dremel, whereas cutting parts away would take the saw and chisels.

Is this stock for the upcoming 3vo project or something else entirely?

This stock is just for my TX air rifle, but it'll be linked into the 3vo project eventually.

Wow, it's going well Rag.
It was a total [female doggy] to cut the inlays for the action on mine. How did you get on with it?

I'd post mine but that means transferring pictures over to the laptop, and I can't be arsed. I made mine from a 2" plank of American Walnut, made it into a thumbhole stock with an adjustable cheekpiece.

That wasn't too hard. I made a little guide for it, a semicircle of 34mm diameter (the diameter of the TX's body) with it's base attached to a wider rectangle. I could just sit that in the stock at any point, and it made it a lot clearer to see where I had to cut back the wood.
When it was deep enough, the edges of the rectangle block sat on the edges of the stock, making it clear when a given section was done.

Simple - the space for the underlever complicated things a bit, but a few careful measurements for that made it a lot easier. As it stands, the rifle can be used - the underlever and cocking linkage channels are cut, so aside from the fact that the back end needs more work, there's nothing to stop it.

Looking good, personally once it's done I'd finish it smooth then take it to have it sprayed, I believe an automotive sprayer will be happy to oblige you, to give you an attractive and hardwearing finish.

By the way, I had the opportunity to shoot the TX SR model recently, amazing recoil absorbtion and really simple too, essentially the action is mounted in a channel that is attached to the stock - it's free to recoil a fraction of an inch backwards, giving an incredibly smoother shot.

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:Looking good, personally once it's done I'd finish it smooth then take it to have it sprayed, I believe an automotive sprayer will be happy to oblige you, to give you an attractive and hardwearing finish.

Well, even though I'm mostly done, and it's OK so far, now I've had the chance to assess my techniques and design, I'm planning on doing over with a fresh start, to see if I can do it neater and cleaner.
I won't be junking this attempt though, so I can easily come back to it.

Looking good so far, what saws are you using? Its a shame you don't have access to a band saw, or fret saw, that would make easy work of the rough shaping, then all you'd need to is round it off and add the details, but anyway, when you finish it, you'll be proud of all the hard work you put into it.